1. Field of the Invention
Flying splices are commonly used on large newspaper presses. On large newspaper presses, the press itself is two stories high or more. The press is basically situated on a ground floor and beneath this floor are the rolls of paper that are being used. These rolls are often held on a tripod device and through a combined mechanical and electrical piece of equipment known as a flying paster, a new roll is attached to an unwinding roll as it approaches the core.
These large machines are automatic or semi-automatic in nature and are quite expensive.
However, in the smaller presses, such as those commonly marketed as the Goss Urbanite or Harris V15-A, both the paper rolls and the press are located at one level. When it is necessary to change an expiring roll, the press is normally stopped and the leading edge of the new roll is glued to the web that is running through the press. This older web is then cut and is slowly worked through the press carrying the edge of the new roll with it. When the two glued edges pass safetly through the folder, the press is once again brought up to speed and the run continues.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Exemplary of patented continuous newsprint roll feeding devices for such large presses are the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: TOKUNO 3,780,960; MOSELEY 3,775,223; SWANN 3,771,737; CRONIN 3,740,312; McDONALD 3,740,296; TAKIMOTO 3,654,035; HELM 3,645.463; PATO 3,637,155; DEGUTIS 3,309,035.
Unlike these automatic and semi-automatic devices the Manual Flying Paster taught herein is a simple manual device which can be easily mounted on smaller presses, such as the Goss Urbanite or Harris V15-A, without major modification. With the Manual Flying Paster three paper rolls may be continuously fed without stopping the press. For small press operations being able to have a sequence of three rolls fed continuously for one press stoppage represents a substantial improvement over previous operations.
The above-noted patents illustrate complex splicers which are simply not economically feasible for such small press operations and, unlike the manual flying paster, are not disclosed to be adaptable for mounting to the existing frame of the press itself.
Tokuno illustrates a web splicing device which employs a separate articulated motorized drive system. The web is first compressed between rollers and then speed synchronized on expiration to match the feed of a new roll, with pressure rollers on a separate frame member to effect the splice. The device of Tokuno is exemplary of large automatic splicers which are neither feasible nor adaptable to the peculiar requirements of smaller presses.
Moseley illustrates a conventional type of rotating web cradle with a belt drive to accelerate a full roll prior to contact with the expiring web through pressure roller. The large rotating cradle itself requires a motor and is typical of prior art rotating splices which are too large for smaller press operations. The patented device of Swann employs an accelerating mechanism and a frame entirely separate and independent of any existing press.
Cronin illustrates a threading device using a continuous belt to urge a new web into contact with a threading assembly including a perforate pressure member. The pivoting roll of Cronin is used for threading and does not function as a flying paster.
McDonald is another typical self-contained splicing roll stand requiring an acceleration mechanism and vertically movable pasting and cut-off mechanisms. McDonald again employs a separate frame and articulated motor-driven assemblies.
Takimoto's press feeding device alo employs a separate rotatable newsprint stand with a triple-shafted turret. This self-contained apparatus employs a series of three drums in order to compress and butt-splice a trailing web onto a full roll. Unlike the Manual Flying Paster herein disclosed, such automatic apparatus are not economically feasible for small presses and are not disclosed for use by modification directly on these existing presses.
Helms illustrates a web splicing apparatus with a festooner arrangement for maintaining the web stationary during a splicing operation.
The splicing operation of Pato uses articulated hydraulic pistons to sequentially position rolls between a horizontal and a vertical position. His sequence of operation, shown at FIGS. 5-13, employs an external frame with hydraulic actuating members and is without particularization to the manner of cutting off the expiring tail. While Pato includes a pivoting pressure arm, the paper rolls themselves are disclosed to be sequentially lifted and rotated by the articulated support arms.
Finally, the splicer of Degutis illustrates a triple shafted turret assembly for sequentially rotating full paper rolls against a contact roller during splicing. Such turret paper feeds are conventional for large scale printing press operations, however, the present invention is an accessory for mounting directly upon small printing presses, and it is for such small presses that the Manual Flying Paster has its utility.
In summary, the prior art illustrates various known splicing apparatus for continuous and automatic feeding of webs for large scale operations. However, there is not found a manual device efficiently allowing an intermittent feed of three rolls for smaller presses so that three rolls may be spliced before the press is shut down.